


White Sugar Cafe

by heonygoms



Category: Monsta X (Band)
Genre: Barista Jooheon, Barista Minhyuk, Fluff, M/M, coffee shop AU, just soft coffee boys
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-05-21
Updated: 2020-05-21
Packaged: 2021-03-03 05:47:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 11,764
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/24289912
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/heonygoms/pseuds/heonygoms
Summary: A cute new cafe opens up across from the tea shop Kihyun works at, and one day he decides to to check it out. He gets hooked instantly, but it's not on the coffee (he doesn't even like coffee).
Relationships: Lee Minhyuk/Yoo Kihyun
Comments: 3
Kudos: 59
Collections: Monsta X Ficfest 2019





	White Sugar Cafe

**Author's Note:**

> im so happy to have worked with mxficfest 2019 !! i had so much fun writing this and i hope people like reading what i wrote ;; sorry if the ending is bad, i've never finished a fic before this one tbh !
> 
> also all hair colors (and minhyuk's job by coincidence) are dramarama era !!
> 
> my twitter is @kqwoo, feel free to follow or dm me !! :D

It had been a long day at work for Kihyun at Mirror Teas, the small, high-end tea shop he worked at. Four grueling hours of explaining to customers what types of tea helped with what ailments, what each of them tasted like, and what sales they had at the moment, all while not being able to sit down for a second and he still had four more hours to come. When his manager, Wonho, told Kihyun he could take his 30-minute break, Kihyun breathed a long sigh of relief. As he clocked out in the back room, taking off the light pink apron that he hated so much, he thought about what to do for thirty whole minutes. He was sick of the tiny little shop he worked at, sick of his breaks in the cramped back room just sitting on a cold metal chair playing games on his phone. He worked in a mall, he could go anywhere. Hell, he could even just take a walk around the top floor, where the shop was, and come back and it would be a breath of fresh air. He decided it was about time he had a change in scenery, he hardly ever left the store while he was on his break. Kihyun grabbed his wallet, left the back room and began walking across the floor of the tea shop, toward the exit. He would have been at least a tiny bit excited to walk around the mall, perhaps window shop for a while, if he wasn’t so painfully exhausted. 

“Where are you going, Kihyun?” Hyungwon, Kihyun’s coworker, asked with a slight tilt to his head as he restocked the shelves. “You never leave on your break.”

“Uh,” Kihyun paused, he didn’t want to tell Hyungwon that he was fucking sick of his place and just needed to leave, not with Wonho behind the counter within earshot. “The new coffee place. I wanna check it out.” 

“Oh, okay. Tell me if the coffee’s any good.” 

“Sure.”

It was true, in a way, that Kihyun had wanted to check out the cafe. It had just opened up that week, right across from the tea shop Kihyun worked at. Over time, he had watched the shoe store that used to be there go out of business, get completely emptied out, then slowly get renovated into an adorable little coffee shop called the White Sugar Cafe. The place looked so cute and cozy, but Kihyun never found time to stop by until now. He waved a half-assed goodbye to Hyungwon, who returned the gesture, and exited the store through the glass doors at the front. Since the majority of the walls at Mirror Teas were completely see-through glass, Kihyun now felt obligated to _actually_ visit the cafe, or else Hyungwon would question him later. He leisurely walked toward the coffee shop, and as he came closer, the distinct smell of sweet coffee filled his head. He was never a huge fan of coffee, or sweet things in general, but the sugary scent wafting out of the cafe was very inviting, Kihyun would admit. 

As he entered the White Sugar Cafe through the open doorway, Kihyun could see just how cute the cafe really was. Decorated with glowing string lights and potted plants, walls painted a shade of yellow so light it was mistakable for pure white, and comfortable-looking sofa seats with pillows as well as wooden chairs around little circular tables. Kihyun, who was so used to the chic and elegant interior of the tea shop, smiled slightly at the stark difference between the two places. 

There was a small line to get coffee, but Kihyun had half an hour to waste. He could wait. He walked in, looking around at every little detail of the interior design, and stood in the line. Looking over the menu as he waited, Kihyun chuckled to himself as he couldn’t decipher most of the words written. Cappuccino? Macchiato? Latte? He had no idea what the difference between them could possibly be. He waited as the person in front of him spewed seemingly gibberish words of an order to the stressed-out barista who forced a smile, and Kihyun felt for the poor boy. Not to mention, the barista was quite attractive physically. Tall, thin, with blue-black hair framing an all too handsome face. Kihyun brushed that thought away, though. When the lady paid and moved to the side, Kihyun stepped forward to place an order. He looked over the menu one last time, just in case, then spoke to the barista. 

“I’ll have a medium black coffee.” 

The barista paused, as if waiting, then said, “That’s it?”

“Yeah, that’s all.” Kihyun confirmed. The black-haired barista stared at Kihyun for a second, a baffled expression shaping his eyebrows.

“Just a medium black coffee... That’s all you want.”

“Um... yes?”

“Not even a croissant or something?”

“No, just... Just the coffee, thanks.”

Though Kihyun was somewhat confused by this interaction, the barista’s eyes began to shift from appearing anxious and stressed to looking relieved. His eyes almost lit up, Kihyun noticed. The boy, more perked up than before, punched the order in on the register and gave Kihyun his total. As Kihyun slid his credit card into the machine, the barista asked for his name, cup and marker in hand. He told the boy his first name as he pulled out the card, and the barista told Kihyun his order was “coming right up,” his smile now looking slightly more genuine than when Kihyun first saw him. 

Kihyun waited in a comfortable chair, checking the time and playing mindless games on his cell phone, until he heard the barista call out his name. He stood, sliding his phone into his back pocket, and approached the counter where the same barista was holding his black coffee. 

“Thank you, Kihyun!” The barista beamed as he handed Kihyun the cup. The barista’s bright, glowing smile was contagious, and Kihyun smiled back softly. He glanced at the sweet barista’s nametag before replying. 

“Have a nice day, Minhyuk.” 

The taller boy looked shocked for a moment and a flush of red colored his cheeks before his sunny smile returned.

“Enjoy! Please, come again!” 

Kihyun had a feeling he would.

He made his way back to the chair he was sitting in, and made himself comfortable again, taking out his phone to continue whatever it was he was doing before. Without even thinking, he brought the paper coffee cup he was holding up to his lips and took a sip. The taste of the piping hot coffee made him raise an eyebrow in half-disbelief, half-amusement. For a place as well decorated and hyped as the White Sugar Cafe, Kihyun knew they could do better than _this._ He wasn’t about to complain, though, because he had seen how the stress of taking orders and having to make them perfectly weighed down on Minhyuk. Kihyun didn’t even care all that much about the taste of his coffee, he had tasted much worse. What he was drinking now was hot and full of caffeine so that was all that mattered to him. 

Kihyun finished his coffee and headed back to the tea shop, but something in him wanted to stay at the cafe. He couldn’t place it, but he wasn’t about to get fired for it, so he made his way back to the tea shop. He told Hyungwon the coffee was “not great,” and went back to work until his shift ended. 

~~~

All night, Kihyun’s mind kept wandering, and eventually found its way back to the barista, Minhyuk, from the White Sugar Cafe. He kept replaying their short, but odd conversation over and over in his head, remembering the way Minhyuk’s face moved, how he smiled, how he blinked. Kihyun disregarded any thoughts of the barista being endearing, and instead blamed his relentless thoughts of Minhyuk on how strange he was. Why had he been so confused? Why had he been so overjoyed? All Kihyun did was order a coffee! It made no sense to him. He eventually managed to fall asleep, only to wake up and have to get ready for another day of work, but the thought of the black-haired barista still confused Kihyun deeply. 

When he arrived at work at 8:30 in the morning, Kihyun knew his shift that day would be painfully long. The same amount of hours as the day before, sure, but his hours were earlier _and_ it was now a weekend, which meant the store would be much busier. All the more reason to get some coffee, Kihyun thought with a half-smirk. He clocked in in the back room and begrudgingly donned his pastel pink apron. As Kihyun began speaking to customers about tea and the various benefits of each kind, the thoughts of coffee subsided. He stayed focused, despite the fact that the amount of customers and questions and complaints was slowly but surely draining his willpower. 

Four torturous hours passed and Kihyun felt like his knees could give out at any moment. He was about to start restocking some shelves when Wonho placed a gentle hand on Kihyun’s shoulder and told him to go on break with a soft smile. Kihyun almost felt like crying tears of joy. He bowed his head slightly and thanked his kind manager before retreating into the back room. He clocked out and took off his apron, leaving it in the break room. This time there was no question, he was going to the White Sugar Cafe for a cup of coffee. He only managed to get a few steps past the door leading into the back room before Hyungwon stopped him.

“Going to the cafe again?” Kihyun’s tall coworker questioned as he placed items on the clearance shelf, raising an eyebrow.

“Yeah. I need a cup of coffee.” Kihyun sighed. Hyungwon’s quizzical expression only deepened.

“I thought you said the coffee there sucked, though.” Hyungwon’s voice sounded half genuinely confused and half suspicious of Kihyun. The older boy just shrugged it off, nonchalant.

“It does, but I need the caffeine. I’m fresh out.” Hyungwon chuckled and focused his attention back on his work, and Kihyun left once again for the White Sugar Cafe across the hall. To his disdain, the closer he got to the cafe, the louder it became. He could see at least 20 or 30 people packed into the tight space of the little coffee shop. Kihyun had forgotten that it was noon on a Saturday. All the shoppers in the mall were probably stopping to get lunch and the hype for the new cafe had yet to die down. Kihyun considered turning around and going elsewhere, but he was already almost through the doors of the cafe, so turning around now would almost be rude, he thought. Kihyun waited at the back of the line, observing all the people around him. Hipster teenagers, rich adults, crying children, but most importantly to Kihyun, two baristas behind the counter, working at lightning speed to get all the orders taken and made. One of the two baristas was someone Kihyun had never seen before, a blonde, but he looked sweet. The other barista was Minhyuk, and Kihyun softly frowned seeing him look even more stressed than the day before. The lunch rush must have been killing him. After a bit of a wait, Kihyun got to the front of the line. While the blonde-haired barista made drinks for customers before him, a familiar face greeted Kihyun. 

“Welcome to the White Sugar Cafe, may I take your--” Minhyuk paused as he finally looked up and made eye contact with Kihyun. “--Oh!” The taller boy’s tired eyes lit up dimly and a hint of a smile crossed his lips, similar to the day before. This gesture still baffled Kihyun, but it made his heart flutter in a way he would never admit. His heart also fluttered at the fact that Minhyuk obviously recognized him. As many people Minhyuk had seen and taken orders from, and Minhyuk remembered _Kihyun_. Kihyun smiled back at Minhyuk, big and bright, just to try and cheer him up. It may have worked, because Minhyuk’s smile widened in response. He could have just been being polite, though, Kihyun reminded himself.

“Another medium black coffee.” The shorter boy stated, and Minhyuk nodded happily. 

“That’s all?”

“Yeah, that’s all.”

The barista punched in Kihyun’s small order, and told him the price. As Kihyun paid, Minhyuk picked up a cup and marker. He looked at the shorter boy, squinting. 

“Kihun, was it?” He asked, unsure. Kihyun’s heart jumped. He didn’t get the name exactly correct, but Minhyuk _almost_ remembered his name. 

“Ki- _HYUN_ ” The brown-haired boy corrected, smiling with amusement. 

“That’s what I said! Kihyun.” The barista grinned, writing down Kihyun’s name on the cup. Minhyuk began turning away, but Kihyun spoke, drawing his attention back.

“Oh, also--” Minhyuk turned to face the shorter boy once more.

“Yeah? What is it?” 

“Take your time. Try not to stress too much.” Kihyun conjured up the sweetest --but least creepy-- smile he could in an attempt to calm the anxiety-ridden boy in front of him.

Minhyuk’s cheeks suddenly flushed a deep red. He fumbled with the cup in his hand, and almost tripped over his own feet while trying to take a step back. Despite all this, he flashed Kihyun a bright, glowing smile and thanked him for the kind words. Kihyun nodded in response. He weaved through the crowd of people attempting to find a vacant seat, but the place was packed. The only empty seats were next to complete strangers, and he didn’t want to invade any privacy. He decided to just stand near the pickup area, leaning against a wall with his phone in his hand. He didn’t mean to look cool, he had just hoped it would make him look like he was waiting patiently. But if he did, perhaps, look cool, that would be a bonus. Not like he had anyone to impress, though. 

After standing there for a while and playing a few mobile games, Kihyun noticed Minhyuk coming over to the pickup area, drink in hand. Kihyun took a step closer and Minhyuk shifted his gaze toward him, smiling a silent greeting. 

“Your coffee!” Minhyuk held the coffee out for the brown-haired boy and Kihyun took it from him with a polite smile. He didn’t notice how his hand brushed up against Minhyuk’s, or how warm Minhyuk’s hand was, or how soft it was. He _definitely_ did not notice. He thanked the barista, and managed to find a seat to drink his coffee at. As Kihyun sat and sipped his mediocre-at-best coffee, he realized that it seemed to have taken a lot longer to make this time than the day before. He brought the coffee cup to his lips but didn’t drink any, instead he used the cup to hide the grin that was quickly creeping onto his face. He had told Minhyuk to take his time, and it seems as though he really did. Kihyun had no idea why this made him so giddy, he never felt like this. He supposed he was just happy to help an overworked and stressed-out barista. That’s all it was. Kihyun loved helping people even in the smallest ways, and was glad to see the smile on Minhyuk’s face.

As Kihyun finished his coffee and got up to leave, he made brief eye contact with Minhyuk, and the barista flashed a smile before returning his gaze to the customer he was taking an order from. The brown-haired boy’s lips curled into a smile involuntarily, and he tried to hide it by looking at the floor as he threw away his empty cup and left to go back to work. 

Kihyun returned to Mirror Teas somehow feeling more tired and more energized at the same time. He donned his apron once more in the back room, but still had a few more minutes before he needed to clock in again. He decided to sit in the small break room for the time being, and was surprised to find Hyungwon back there. 

“Oh, hey.” Kihyun spoke.

“Hey.”

Kihyun took a seat next to the lanky boy and made himself comfortable. Rather, as comfortable as one could be on a metal folding chair. 

“You smell like coffee.” Hyungwon remarked, sticking his tongue out in disgust. 

“I thought you liked coffee,” Kihyun retorted.

“Yeah, I like sweet coffee. I mean, I guess americanos are okay, but plain black coffee? I don’t know how you do it.”

“It’s not that bad. And it doesn’t take that long to make. Makes it easier on the barista.” Kihyun tried to push down the thoughts of Minhyuk, and the smile that came with them. Hyungwon tilted his head, baffled.

“Kihyun? Since when do you have a heart?” 

Kihyun scoffed.

“No, I’m serious! Why do you suddenly care about the barista when you order? Or... Maybe it’s one certain barista?” Hyungwon joked. Kihyun stood straight up, ready to yell and defend himself, but upon realizing he had no reason to, he calmed himself back down.

“Come on, Hyungwon. Grow up.” He scowled at the younger boy before continuing. “I have to clock back in now, see you.” 

Kihyun heard a quiet “oh my god,” from Hyungwon as he left, but disregarded it. In all honesty, Kihyun still had a few more minutes before he had to go back, but he didn’t want to talk to Hyungwon anymore. Kihyun didn’t have a crush on Minhyuk. He didn’t care about Minhyuk any more than any other barista. He would have been glad to order a black coffee from the other barista he saw there if he saw that it calmed him down for even a minute. So why did he feel his face heating up? Why did he get so mad at Hyungwon? He had only known Minhyuk for a few minutes at most, and Kihyun didn’t believe in love at first sight. Not that he was in love with Minhyuk... 

Kihyun’s mind felt even more scrambled than before. The more he thought, the more he confused himself. He quickly punched in his code and got back to work, trying to drown out his thoughts with the songs they played in the store that Kihyun had grown sick and tired of, but knew every lyric to. He continued distracting himself on the drive home, while making dinner, in the shower, and in bed. It worked for the most part. 

Kihyun slept in the next morning. His shift was in the late afternoon, and he could doze off until then, if he wanted. He was never one to stay in bed particularly late, though, and got up at a reasonable hour. Still in pajamas, he made his way into the kitchen and absentmindedly began brewing up some coffee for himself. _Coffee._ In his still-tired state, Kihyun let his mind wander wherever it pleased, and at the sight and smell of coffee, he began thinking once again about the young barista, Minhyuk. There was just something different about him, Kihyun thought. Maybe it was his peculiar nature, how he beamed and overflowed with relief when Kihyun placed his order, despite being a gloomy mess beforehand. Maybe it was how after only taking his order once, the black-haired boy remembered him, his order, and his name. Well, _almost_ remembered his name. The boy was so strange to Kihyun. Kihyun decided he wanted to see Minhyuk again (and again, and again), only to figure him out. Perhaps unravelling the boy’s mannerisms would unravel Kihyun’s thoughts, too, and he could finally get some peace in his own mind. 

Unfortunately for him, the barista behind the counter that day was not the boy he was hoping to see. Kihyun got to the cafe somewhat late that day. His shift was later in the day and it was a shorter one, so he didn’t even have a long enough break to stop by the cafe. Instead, he decided to get his coffee after his shift ended. There was no line to wait in at this time of day on a Sunday, and the place was nearly empty aside from Kihyun, the vaguely familiar barista, and a few customers scattered about the establishment. Kihyun knew it would be unbelievably rude to leave the cafe because the barista he wanted to see was not there that day, so he walked up to the cash register and the barista smiled at him, dimples on display. 

“Welcome to the White Sugar Cafe, what can I get for you today?” The blonde barista spoke with a light-hearted tone to his voice.

“A medium black coffee, please.” Kihyun recited his usual order, which was quite small, to the barista, whose face lit up similar to the way Minhyuk’s had. What kind of weird people did they hire to work here, Kihyun wondered? The barista, whose name was Jooheon according to his nametag, told Kihyun his total, and he paid as usual. 

“Name, please?”

“Kihyun.” 

“A-ha! I knew it!” The blonde blurted out, pointing the pen at Kihyun. As taken aback as Kihyun was by this, Jooheon seemed more affected by his own actions. His face turned pale, and he covered his mouth with the hand he had pointed at Kihyun with.

“I-- I’m so sorry, I didn’t mean anything rude by that, it’s just that Minhyuk--” The boy stumbled on his own words, and Kihyun had almost cut him off and told him it was okay, but the mention of Minhyuk intrigued and confused him even further than he already had been. 

“Minhyuk?” Kihyun questioned, prompting the boy to continue. 

“Oh, uh, my co-worker. The skinny one with black hair?” Kihyun nodded, silently saying that he knew the boy, and letting Jooheon continue. “It’s just that he talks about you a lot-- or, sometimes. He talks about you sometimes.”

Kihyun could feel his face starting to flush a soft red, but he tried his best to keep his cool. 

“He talks about me? What.. what does he say?” The tone in his voice was nowhere near the coolness he had aimed for; he sounded more excited, desperate. He cleared his throat, hoping the blonde boy wouldn’t notice his sudden enthusiasm. The boy in front of Kihyun still seemed too caught up with his own embarrassment for having said anything in the first place to make note of Kihyun’s eagerness to hear more. He fumbled, fidgeting with his hands while stuttering “um”s and “uh”s before continuing.

“Not much, really. Just that you... uh... started showing up a lot lately.” 

Kihyun tilted his head.

“Does he talk about all of your regular customers?” 

Jooheon’s cheeks burned an even deeper red color, he was now noticeably flustered and stepped to the side to begin making Kihyun’s coffee. He never answered Kihyun’s question, but the shorter boy didn’t want to pry and left it alone. When the blonde finished Kihyun’s coffee, Kihyun reached out and took it, smiling at Jooheon. He thanked the barista and bid him farewell with kind words of encouragement and took off to go home. 

The drive back to Kihyun’s apartment was a nightmare. Not because there was traffic, or any accidents, but rather because his thoughts were yet again driving him crazy. No amount of loud music could tear Kihyun away from thoughts of the black-haired barista and what his friend had said about him. Why did Minhyuk talk about him? What did he say? Why didn’t Jooheon want to share? It all made Kihyun feel like he was going insane. Not only that, but the quiet drive home in the dark city reminded Kihyun of a thought he wished he hadn’t had. Something he wished he could just remove forever and never look back on. When Kihyun had taken his drink from Jooheon, their hands touched. As per usual. However, this time Kihyun’s heart was not aflutter because of it. He had no reaction to his hands touching Jooheon’s, whereas his heart and mind all went haywire when he brushed hands with Minhyuk. Kihyun swallowed hard and tried to push these thoughts back with it. Of course, as usual, this attempt was in vain. The longer he knew Minhyuk, the more the thoughts of him would eat Kihyun alive. 

Kihyun had trouble sleeping that night, yet again, but he forced himself to sleep early so that he could be awake in time for his morning shift the next day. The morning came all too quickly. The short, brown-haired boy felt like he had only gotten an hour of sleep, despite having gotten a full night’s rest. He groaned as his alarm blared in his ear, tiredly throwing his arm toward his phone in hopes of making the sound stop. When this failed, he groggily sat up and reached for his phone. Picking it up off of the bedside table made the harsh sound of the phone vibrating on a hard surface stop, and Kihyun closed his eyes in sleepy relief for only a moment before the shrill beeping came back to wake him up again. He groaned, turned the alarm off, and stood up. He only had a little while before he had to leave for work. However, after his shower, he suddenly found himself staring into the mirror, wondering if he looked good enough today. Huh. Odd. He never thought about those kinds of things, he realized. He shook his head and made his way to his car, and off to the mall. 

~~~

That morning, Kihyun was only working with his manager, Wonho. His other co-workers would come in later. This was no problem for Kihyun, Wonho was nowhere near intimidating unless you were only looking at his height and stature. His personality was like that of a puppy; sweet and gentle, and would never try to hurt someone. He would only ever criticize the way employees worked with the utmost softness, almost never using harsh words but instead using encouragement to keep going. He was unlike most scary managers Kihyun had at previous jobs, and being alone with him was not scary at all. That is, of course, unless you got on his bad side. Wonho’s constant upbeat and forgiving attitude made him absolutely _terrifying_ when he was genuinely angered. But Kihyun had only ever been on Wonho’s good side. Or so he thought. 

As the two were working, stocking the shelves and taking inventory, et cetera, Wonho walked up to Kihyun. The younger smiled. The older did not. 

“Kihyun.” Wonho’s tone was cold, as if his words were frigid ice water pouring down Kihyun’s back. 

“Um, yes..?” Kihyun replied, trying his hardest not to show the fear he felt.

“I heard from a little birdie or two that you’ve been frequenting the White Sugar Cafe?” 

Kihyun nodded, confused. 

“Ah. So you’ve been supporting our main competitor. Do you know what that could do to our business? What does that say about us, at this establishment?” 

Kihyun was nearly shaking. Oh god, he fucked up. He really fucked up. 

“I, I’m so sorry, Wonho, I didn’t think about--... I didn’t know--” Kihyun rambled, trying to appease his higher-up and not get fired on the spot over a strange infatuation with a pretty, black-haired barista. He wondered if it was worth it, and beat himself up for not even realizing he was supporting their main competition in the mall. He opened his mouth to speak again, but the words couldn’t find their way out. Suddenly, though, Wonho’s face went from cold and almost angry, to his usual soft smile and bright eyes. He put his hand on Kihyun’s shoulder gently.

“I was just kidding around! It’s no big deal! Actually, my good friend Hyunwoo works there, maybe I’ll pay him a visit one of these days!” 

And just like that, Wonho turned and walked away, off to the back room of the store. Kihyun let out an audible sigh of relief, clutching his chest with one hand to try and calm his pounding heart. It felt as though he had thought every bad thing possible in the span of a few seconds. He thought he might get fired, he might get scolded by management for hours, _he might never see Minhyuk again_. He sighed again, knowing now that all of those thoughts were stupid, especially one in specific. He tried to shake off the bad feelings, knowing Wonho was just joking, but the thought of losing someone he never even had the chance to truly become friends with didn’t sit well with him. 

The more he thought about it, the more Kihyun realized that Minhyuk made him... _happy._ No matter how weird the boy was, seeing him smile made Kihyun feel like everything was okay. Minhyuk’s smile could easily light up any room, any auditorium, stadium, a whole skyscraper or two. His smile was like the sun, it filled Kihyun’s mind and heart with a soft yellow glow. This wasn’t just an infatuation, or just someone Kihyun couldn’t get out of his brain for no reason; this was something more, but Kihyun couldn’t put his finger on it. A friend? Well, not quite yet. So far their only relationship was barista and customer, he couldn’t consider them friends quite yet. Kihyun didn’t even know if Minhyuk felt the same about him. All he knew was that, from word of his friend, Minhyuk “talked about Kihyun a lot.” Kihyun wondered if it was good, bad, or neutral subjects. Nevertheless, the thought of Minhyuk lit Kihyun up like Christmas lights. 

Kihyun worked as usual, albeit a little bit brighter, until it came time for his break. No matter what mood he was in, work was always exhausting, and taking a break was exactly what he needed. He sauntered toward the back room, making sure everything in the store was how it should be, and punched in the code on the door handle when he got there. He closed the door behind him, and let out a sigh so long it felt like he was deflating. He took off his apron, hung it up, checked the time before punching out of work, and went off to the cafe. 

It was a Monday at around 2pm, so the coffee shop was nearly empty aside from a few customers sitting down, studying, and/or having a snack with their coffees, and one person at the counter, presumably placing an order. Kihyun stepped into the cafe and stood behind the woman ordering. He couldn’t help but notice the woman sounding quite harsh to the barista, Minhyuk. She wasn’t placing an order after all, but rather a complaint. She was ordering him to remake her drink, and berated him with a list of nonsense words to Kihyun, slowly and loudly over-pronouncing the things Minhyuk had supposedly gotten wrong. He disappeared behind the counter to remake the drink as the lady waited, crossing her arms and tapping her foot impatiently. Kihyun was glad there was nobody else waiting in line, this lady would have been holding it up. Minhyuk came back a minute or so later, new drink in hand, and held it out for the lady, apologizing for the inconvenience. She snatched it from his hands, took a sip and begrudgingly approved of the new drink. She turned to leave the cafe, and made eye contact with Kihyun. She rolled her eyes and walked out, seemingly still angry at Minhyuk judging from the extra loud clack of her heels as she disappeared around the corner. 

Kihyun stepped up to the counter, and Minhyuk’s expression shifted faster than Kihyun had ever seen. He looked gloomy and defeated, looking down at the counter tiredly, until his eyes met Kihyun’s. The downtrodden expression almost entirely melted away as his lips drew back into a toothy smile and his eyes began gleaming. This expression of Minhyuk’s was blindingly bright for Kihyun, who tried his best to return a smile just as bright. Minhyuk looked away for a second, grin deepening for just a moment as he looked down, almost as if he was trying to keep it to himself, a secret. He looked back up at Kihyun before speaking.

“Just your usual?” 

“Yup.” Kihyun confirmed, nodding.

“Then that’ll be your usual price.” Minhyuk joked, still beaming at the shorter boy. Kihyun paid, as per usual, and Minhyuk wrote his name on a cup without even asking if he had it right this time. Kihyun waited for his coffee, which didn’t take nearly as long as the lady before him. He heard Minhyuk humming happily while working machines in the back. When Minhyuk called Kihyun’s name, the brown-haired boy retrieved the drink with a smile and thanked the taller boy. Kihyun found an empty table with two unoccupied seats, and placed his coffee down on a coaster before sitting down. A few minutes into sitting and drinking his coffee, a familiar-looking blonde boy walked briskly through the open door, looking out of breath. 

“You’re late, Heon!” Minhyuk shouted out to the boy, who bowed slightly in apology. The blonde skittered behind the counter where Minhyuk scolded him some more.

“Hey Nunu? Jooheon’s here, can I take my break now?” Minhyuk called out to seemingly no one, facing a door that presumably led to the back room. Kihyun heard a muffled “yeah, sure,” before Minhyuk took off his apron and practically skipped out from behind the counter. The black-haired boy made a bee-line directly toward where Kihyun was sitting, and pulled out the empty chair. He threw his body into the padded seat, and let out a long sigh. 

“Um, hi?” Kihyun spoke, somewhat confused.

“Oh! Hi! Is it okay if I sit here?” Minhyuk asked, a little too late, looking at Kihyun now. With a soft chuckle and a nod, Kihyun confirmed that it was fine. 

“Okay, great. Because I probably wasn’t gonna move anyway.” Kihyun scoffed. 

“Hey, Minhyuk? Are... are you okay?” Kihyun’s expression was soft and gentle, caring. Minhyuk’s eyebrows furrowed and he tilted his head.

“What do you mean?” 

“Oh, it’s just... That lady before. She was so rude to you! Are you alright?” At this, Minhyuk let out a dry laugh.

“Oh her? That kind of thing happens more times than I can count, and she wasn’t even close to the worst I’ve gotten here. I’ve honestly gotten used to it, it hardly phases me anymore.” Minhyuk rested his face on one hand, leaning on the wooden table. 

“Gosh, I’m so sorry.” Kihyun frowned, then spoke under his breath, “I guess I’m glad I work with tea and not coffee.” Minhyuk tilted his head to the side and leaned in closer to Kihyun. 

“Huh? Did you say tea?” 

“Um, yeah. I work in the tea shop--”

“You work at Mirror Teas?!” Minhyuk shouted, slamming both hands on the table, and standing up out of his seat slightly. Kihyun recoiled, flinching backwards until his back was pressed against the back of his seat. 

“Yes..? Is that a big deal??” Kihyun responded carefully. 

“Of course it is!!” Minhyuk shouted, voice slightly lower this time, sitting back down. “That means you’ve worked right across from me this whole time and I had no idea! _I_ could have been visiting _you_ at work!” Minhyuk pouted, crossing his arms in over-dramatic disappointment. Kihyun scoffed, rolling his eyes in disbelief. 

“Would you even want to go to a tea shop? It’s so boring in there. Even if tea is better than coffee, the shops are much di--”

“Excuse me? Did you really just say tea is better than coffee?” Minhyuk interrupted Kihyun, half-joking. 

“Um, yes? Because it’s true?” Minhyuk frowned, offended by this. 

“But coffee... It’s so versatile! Warm and sweet and there’s so many different flavors and styles... And you think watered-down leaves is better?” Minhyuk was smiling, clearly joking around, so Kihyun played along.

“Yes, tea _is_ better. Tea can help heal people, and there are so many different kinds for so many different problems, it’s basically medicine that actually tastes good. And what does coffee do? Rot your teeth out and make you hyper?” 

“Says the one who comes in every day for coffee.”

“The coffee here isn’t even that good.” Kihyun rolled his eyes. Minhyuk paused, for once, and stared at Kihyun for a moment.

“Then why do you come in every day?” 

Kihyun froze, feeling his face go bright red in an instant. He took a sip of the coffee in front of him, looking away from Minhyuk. 

“I need the caffeine.”

Minhyuk laughed, loud and bright, and Kihyun looked back at him, one brow raised. 

“You’re funny, Kihyun. I like you.” The black-haired boy’s smile didn’t falter as he spoke. His eyes closed halfway to make room for the big toothy grin. Kihyun’s heart skipped a beat, and he smiled back. Kihyun had almost forgotten they were in a public place, with other people studying and ordering drinks all around them. Kihyun felt like, even if for just a second, the only two people in the world were Minhyuk and himself. He had never felt this way after just having a silly conversation with someone. He had never seen someone smile so bright and warm that it could melt away all of the ice embedded in Kihyun’s personality. He had never felt this way, ever. He would never admit to it, though. He kept all of the brightness and warmth, all of the yellow color that Minhyuk brought to Kihyun’s head, locked up somewhere in the back of his mind for only Kihyun to see. Or, at least, he tried to. 

The two boys spoke and joked with each other, until Kihyun checked the time and realized with a start that he needed to return to work soon. Minhyuk must have noticed the change in expression on Kihyun, and asked what was wrong.

“Oh, it’s just... I have to get back to work.” Minhyuk pouted again, but quickly changed his expression back to the warm smile that Kihyun loved. 

“I probably should, too. Thank you for hanging out with me!” Kihyun grinned in response, and stood up. He pushed his chair in quietly, threw out his now empty coffee cup, and walked back to work, waving goodbye to Minhyuk as he left. 

Kihyun’s mind raced as he returned to Mirror Teas, his heart pounded as he clocked back in in the back room, he was in a daze, smiling uncontrollably. As he marked down the prices of clearance items, he thought about Minhyuk’s humming, his laugh, the way he smiled every time they made eye contact. Kihyun couldn’t hold in the smile that crossed his lips as he recalled their conversations. Happy as he was, Kihyun still had questions, concerns, doubts. Why couldn’t Jooheon tell him what Minhyuk said about him? Why had Minhyuk chosen to take his break sitting with Kihyun? Why the _hell_ did Kihyun feel the way he did? 

Kihyun’s younger coworker passed by, boxes in hand, but paused and backpedaled upon seeing the expression plastered on Kihyun’s face. 

“Kihyun? What’s up, dude?” Kihyun shook his head, trying to snap himself out of it. He turned toward the younger employee. 

“Oh. Hey, Changkyun.” The dusty-haired boy cocked his head to one side, confused. He took a step closer to his older friend. 

“Hey. What’s up? You look... weird.” 

“Oh, what, because I’m smiling?” Kihyun spat.

“No, no!” Changkyun took another step closer. “You just look... I don’t know, dazed? What happened on your break?” He spoke with a teasing tone. Kihyun blushed lightly, focusing back on his work, turning away from Changkyun.

“Nothing. God, Changkyun.” 

“Did you meet up with your crush?” The younger joked, jabbing Kihyun’s side with his elbow. The older’s face flushed a deep rosy color. He held his tongue, refusing to speak. How annoying could this kid be? Kihyun wondered, avoiding the subject at hand entirely. 

“Woah, woah, wait. Kihyun? For real?” Changkyun urged the older to reply, and he complied, turning around with an angry curve to his brow and rosy cheeks. 

“What are you talking about?” Kihyun hissed.

“Oh my god, you really have a crush?! I was joking! Oh my god.” Changkyun spoke a little too loudly, luckily for Kihyun there weren’t many customers around. Unfortunately, though, Hyungwon was. And he heard everything. The tall boy was making his way over, a smug grin crossing his lips. Kihyun covered his face with one hand, more out of annoyance than embarrassment. 

“Kihyun?” Hyungwon mused, once again urging the brown-haired boy to speak up. Kihyun gritted his teeth before fully turning toward the two younger boys mocking him.

“I _don’t_ have a crush, okay? It’s not like that. He’s just a friend.”

Changkyun gasped audibly.

“ _‘He’?_ Who’s ‘he’?!”

“He really does have a crush, oh my god, this is hilarious.” Hyungwon chimed in, speaking mainly to Changkyun. Kihyun hadn’t realized that nobody knew of Minhyuk yet. His already pink cheeks burned yet another shade deeper after realizing he nearly exposed himself.

“I do not!” Kihyun responded, raising his voice immaturely. “He’s just a friend, it doesn’t matter. I don’t have feelings for him, or anyone for that matter. Get back to work.” Kihyun grumbled, and the two younger ones slowly walked away, talking and laughing amongst themselves. 

~~~

Several weeks passed by like this. Kihyun visited the White Sugar Cafe every day he had work, and even some days he had off. He began recognizing the other regulars, as well as the employees. Minhyuk would often sit and talk with Kihyun if he could, and the two would joke and talk about their jobs and their lives. Changkyun and Hyungwon continually teased Kihyun for having a crush, especially when Minhyuk visited Mirror Teas every so often. It was nice, getting even the smallest change of pace and scenery. Kihyun looked forward to seeing Minhyuk’s smile nearly every day. That is, of course, until one day when Minhyuk’s smile wasn’t there.

Kihyun had come into the cute little cafe as per usual, and expected to see Minhyuk greet him with a big toothy grin like he usually did. However, to Kihyun’s surprise, Minhyuk was there, but his smile was not. Kihyun approached the counter and when Minhyuk saw him, Kihyun heard him sigh quietly. The taller boy faked a smile. Kihyun could tell easily that it was fake; Minhyuk’s teeth stayed hidden behind his lips and his eyes were dim, missing their usual happy glow. Kihyun offered a loving, comforting expression. Minhyuk looked away.

“Minhyuk? Are you okay? What’s wrong?” Kihyun spoke softly, both to ensure nobody else heard, and in an attempt to comfort the clearly upset boy in front of him. Minhyuk breathed a dry laugh, before looking back at the brown-haired boy, avoiding eye contact. 

“I’m fine. Anyway, medium black coffee?” Minhyuk’s tone was colder than Kihyun had ever heard it before. He had obviously evaded the question, and Kihyun was unsure of what to do to help, if there was anything he could do at all. Kihyun nodded sheepishly and paid as usual. 

Just then, Jooheon (who Kihyun had learned was one of Minhyuk’s best friends,) came out of the back room and said something quietly to Minhyuk that Kihyun couldn’t quite make out, then before Minhyuk could stop him, he came out from behind the counter. Kihyun had gotten used to seeing Jooheon as a scaredy cat, a softie with loads of love to give. So when Jooheon approached Kihyun with an angry stare, Kihyun was thoroughly both intimidated and confused. Jooheon grabbed the older boy’s arm and pulled him to the side, away from the counter and away from Minhyuk. Jooheon turned, dropping Kihyun’s arm more aggressively than Kihyun expected. He looked Kihyun dead in the eyes, expression bitter and cold, mixed with a twinge of something like sadness or worry. 

“Why would you do that to him, Kihyun?” 

Stunned by Jooheon’s harsh tone, the shorter boy simply stared blankly at the other in response. 

“He really thought you two were getting close, you broke his heart! How... How could you do that? Just throw it away like it was nothing?” 

Jooheon’s voice faltered near the end, the sadness in his eyes now coming through in his tone. Kihyun was scared now, scared, confused, and frustrated.

“What are you talking about?” He finally managed to get the words out, but they came out more standoffish than he meant. 

“Really? You don’t know?”

“No, I... I have no idea why the hell you’re both so upset with me! What did I do?”

Jooheon laid his palm on his face, and let out a long sigh. His expression changed into one of understanding, mixed with a hint of disappointment. 

“You really have no idea what you did that could have hurt Minhyuk’s feelings?” 

“No! Please, what did I do?” Kihyun begged, frustrated and defeated. Jooheon sighed again, and leaned in closer to Kihyun, looking around to make sure nobody listened. 

“Yesterday,” Jooheon began. He paused for a moment, hesitating. “Yesterday, Minhyuk wrote his phone number on your cup. He waited for something from you, anything, and got nothing. Then he watched as you threw your cup away. It took him a long time to finally decide to give you his number, and you just... threw it away. He was devastated.” 

Kihyun’s face burned up. He was frozen, staring at Jooheon, mouth agape. He stuttered the word “I,” over and over while he processed what Jooheon had just told him. 

“I had no idea. I didn’t see it, I... I never noticed it there. Fuck, I’m so sorry.” Kihyun rambled, just letting the excuses and apologies fall out of his mouth while he felt his face turn even deeper red. 

“I’m not the one you should be apologizing to,” Jooheon spoke, now smiling slightly. Kihyun frowned, looking away. He wondered what he should do for a moment, before looking back at Jooheon, grabbing his arm gently in a moment of confidence.

“Can you...” He hesitated a moment, a bit embarrassed about what he was about to ask, but he knew he had to. He swallowed, and continued. “Can you ask him to write it again today? I’ll notice this time, I swear.” 

Jooheon let out a small snort, the rest of the laugh was stifled as he covered his mouth with his free hand.

“Yeah, I’ll tell him.” 

Kihyun thanked Jooheon profusely, bowing as he stepped away. He found his usual comfortable chair unoccupied and sat down happily, albeit embarrassed as hell. He was positive his face was still as red as a tomato. How could he have not noticed? Was he just that unobservant? He felt like a jerk, and now completely understood Minhyuk’s cold shoulder earlier. He would have done the same, had he been in Minhyuk’s shoes. Kihyun tried not to watch as Jooheon spoke to Minhyuk. He was too far away to see their faces well enough to read their expressions. This made him uncomfortably nervous, and he wondered if Minhyuk would understand the situation or not for just a moment before his name was called. 

He shot up out of his chair, causing it to scrape the floor with a loud sound as it was pushed back. He apologized quietly to the people near him, and nervously made his way to the counter, where Minhyuk was still holding his drink. The black-haired barista still looked gloomy, slightly hunched over, eyes tired. Kihyun took the drink without looking at it and thanked Minhyuk, then returned to his seat, heart racing faster than he would ever admit. He set the drink down on the table and spun it slowly, until he found a set of digits scribbled on the cup next to a goofy, lopsided smiley face and Minhyuk’s name. Kihyun grinned. He would have teased Minhyuk for his messy handwriting and nearly illegible signature if he weren’t so relieved and happy to see them. Before even taking a sip of his coffee, the brown-haired boy took out his cell phone, typed in the number on the cup, and sent a message. 

_“Hey. It’s me.”_

After hitting the ‘send’ button, Kihyun waited, craning his neck to be able to see Minhyuk behind the counter. He heard a quiet chime, and watched as Minhyuk took his phone out of his back pocket. The barista looked down at his phone, trying to keep it concealed from customers and co-workers. Kihyun watched as his face went from nervous and gloomy to beaming and happy in an instant. Minhyuk looked up and scanned the cafe for a second before locking eyes with Kihyun. The light-haired boy gave a small, confident smile and a wave. Minhyuk grinned ear-to-ear before looking down at his phone and typing a message back. Within seconds, Kihyun’s phone dinged.

_“kihyunnie!!!!! :D”_

Kihyun laughed softly, more of a fast exhale out his nose than a laugh, before responding.

_“Minhyuk! :)”_

Kihyun watched as Minhyuk’s smile became so big that his eyes pressed shut. The boy covered his mouth with one hand to hide his toothy, gummy grin. Kihyun wished he wouldn’t. He loved seeing the other boy smile. 

Kihyun had to go back to work, and texted Minhyuk goodbye this time. As per usual, he got teased by his younger coworkers for supposedly having a crush, and they tried to convince Kihyun that Minhyuk was flirting with him by giving his number, but Kihyun refused to listen. It’s not flirting when you want to be friends with someone, Kihyun thought. Minhyuk was not flirting with him, he was just being friendly. 

After Kihyun returned home from work that night, he got changed into comfortable clothes and sat on the couch with a snack, watching mindless tv shows. Home improvement shows, variety shows, cooking shows, just whatever came on the tv. He was maybe an hour in when his phone chimed with a new text, breaking him out of the daze he had been in. He groaned and grabbed his phone from the coffee table in front of him, turning the screen toward himself. 

_“Minhyuk:_

_hi kihyun!!! are u home from work yet? :D”_

Kihyun felt a small smile creeping onto his face. He concealed it, even though nobody was around to see. He quickly typed a response.

_“Yeah. I got home a little while ago. Why?”_

Minhyuk read the message almost immediately, and began typing. Kihyun didn’t have to wait long for another message to pop up on his screen.

_“good !!! i just didnt wanna bother u at work”_

_“What’s up?”_

_“not much !! hbu!!”_

_“Nothing, really.”_

_“so !! are u busy tomorrow ??”_

_“i know u said u have thursdays off and i have tomorrow off too so like ”_

_“do u wanna ?????? idk hang out or smth?”_

Kihyun let out a small chuckle in response to Minhyuk’s flurry of messages. Not because of the content, no way. He wouldn’t let himself be this excited over just hanging out. Kihyun laughed at the way Minhyuk typed. Bad grammar, misspellings, abbreviations, too many emojis. It was annoying, but it suited him. 

_“That would be great.”_

_“oh awesome !!!! :D :D”_

_“Where did you want to go? I’m good with anywhere as long as we’re not in that godforsaken fucking mall again.”_

_“LMAO same !! i was thinking maybe my house ?? or urs?? whatever u want!”_

_“I’d be up for going to your place.”_

_“cool !!! theres a takeout place right by me so we can get some dinner there if u want !!”_

Kihyun let the smile cross his lips now. He let himself smile as much as he wanted. He was going to hang out with Minhyuk the next day! He could officially say he was friends with Minhyuk, rather than just close acquaintances. It wasn’t often that Kihyun would open up this much to a new person, but there was just something about Minhyuk that he couldn’t put his finger on. Minhyuk could be loud and annoying quite often, he was somewhat messy and hardly ever serious. The two would argue all the time over small things. Minhyuk was essentially Kihyun’s polar opposite, but something about him just felt... _right_ to Kihyun. As if the two were puzzle pieces that fit together perfectly. Kihyun shook his head, trying not to think too deeply into it. Instead, he cleaned up his snacks, turned off the tv, and headed to bed, sending a good night text to Minhyuk, who teased him for going to bed so early.

Kihyun woke up early the next morning. He had no clue what was in store for him that day, he and Minhyuk hadn’t planned much aside from being at Minhyuk’s house and possibly getting takeout. Kihyun wasn’t even sure if takeout would be lunch or dinner. He wanted to ask Minhyuk, but doubted he would be awake yet. If anything, Kihyun felt like he might be awake because he hadn’t yet gone to sleep. Kihyun hoped this wasn’t true, though. Kihyun was the type to get antsy over things, and waiting for Minhyuk to get a full night’s rest was not something he was willing to do. Kihyun took a quick shower, and spent a little too long making sure his hair looked perfect. He tried on probably ten different outfits, trying to get just the right balance of fashion and comfort, until he settled on one he liked. A somewhat loose-fitting t-shirt tucked into jeans, and a fashionably oversized coat. He made sure the outfit looked good without the coat, too, as it was getting to be warmer outside those days.

After checking himself out in the mirror for an embarrassing amount of time, Kihyun shot Minhyuk a quick text, deciding it was late enough now that he should be awake. 

_“Morning, Min. When should I head to your place?”_

Unsurprisingly, Minhyuk didn’t respond. He must still be asleep, Kihyun thought. The brown-haired boy sat on his couch, impatiently flipping through channels, checking his phone every so often to make sure he didn’t miss any messages. He had settled on a channel, a silly baking show, when his phone finally chimed with a new message.

_“Minhyuk:_

_kiki !! good morning !! come over whenever u want, i just gotta clean up a bit but it shouldnt take me too long :D”_

Kihyun blushed a little at the sudden nickname. He had called Minhyuk “Min,” but “Kiki” was a much cuter nickname. Minhyuk was cute. 

_“Great! Is there anything I should bring with me?”_

_“hmm... nope! just you!”_

_“well”_

_“maybe a wallet”_

_“Oh, what, you’re not gonna be a gentleman and pay for my meal?”_

_“PFFT”_

_“what are u, my girlfriend??”_

Kihyun nearly choked when he read the last message. He could feel his cheeks starting to burn. Just because the message was unexpected, Kihyun convinced himself. There was no other reason. 

_“Ha ha. Very funny.”_

_“thanks i try”_

_“Anyway. I think I’m heading out soon. What’s your address?”_

Minhyuk sent his location, followed by a “see you soon” message with far too many exclamation points and happy emojis, making Kihyun smile. Minhyuk’s apartment was only a few minute’s drive from Kihyun’s, so he decided to wait a little while to give Minhyuk time to clean up like he said. Kihyun tidied up his own apartment in the meantime. When he was done, he grabbed his wallet, sent Minhyuk an “on my way” text, and headed out the door. 

The drive to Minhyuk’s place was short, but Kihyun felt tense and nervous the whole time. This was his first time hanging out with Minhyuk outside of both of their jobs, in a private setting. The atmosphere was bound to be much different. What if Minhyuk wasn’t what Kihyun expected? What if he kept up a good persona in public, but behind closed doors was completely different? Kihyun’s palms were sweaty against the steering wheel, but when he pulled in to Minhyuk’s driveway, he wiped them off on his pants and took a deep, deep breath. He double, triple, even quadruple checked that he had the right house, and only when he was one hundred percent positive did he actually get out of his car. He breathed in the fresh air, and let out a long sigh. He was nervous, but refused to let Minhyuk see it. He stood up straight, trying to look confident, and walked to the front door. He hardly managed to get in one hard knock before the door swung open. 

Minhyuk stood in the doorway, bright smile plastered on his face as usual. His black hair was a bit of a mess, and he wore a plain grey hoodie and loose jeans, cuffed at the ankles. It was a little odd for Kihyun to see Minhyuk in clothes other than his work uniform, but he looked warm and comfortable, just like his personality. 

“Kihyun!” Minhyuk grinned, “Hi!”

“Hey, Minhyuk. Good to see you.” 

Minhyuk stepped away from the door, gesturing for Kihyun to enter the apartment. Kihyun nodded, and stepped inside. The apartment was surprisingly smaller than Kihyun’s, but Minhyuk had decorated it to feel cozy and nice instead of cramped. 

“Sorry it’s not much...” Minhyuk spoke.

“Oh, no, don’t worry. My place isn’t much bigger. It’s really nice in here.” Kihyun smiled, looking around at all the small things Minhyuk had. From superhero action figures to cute little decorations he probably found at thrift stores. It wasn’t entirely what Kihyun was expecting, but it was comfortable. Kihyun turned to look at Minhyuk, who looked as bright as ever. 

“You really like it?” The black-haired boy asked, genuinely curious.

“I do.” 

Minhyuk took Kihyun on a small tour of the apartment, showing him the bathroom, the living room, the kitchen, and what was in every drawer. He got carried away while showing Kihyun his bedroom and started talking about the figurines he had, who they were, what they did, and how he got them. The shorter boy sat on Minhyuk’s bed as he spoke. Kihyun liked seeing Minhyuk in his own element, and the nervousness he had felt before began slipping away as he asked questions about Minhyuk’s prized figurines. Minhyuk suddenly stopped and apologized for talking about his figurines so much, which made Kihyun laugh. 

“It’s okay, keep going if you want!” Kihyun encouraged Minhyuk. 

“No, no, I’m done now!”

Minhyuk put the figurine he had been holding back in its proper place on the shelf, and walked toward his bed, next to Kihyun. He threw himself backward onto the bed, laying down, making his blankets, pillows, and Kihyun all jump up for a second. He looked up at Kihyun and grinned, letting out a short chuckle. 

“It’s kinda weird,” Minhyuk spoke, trailing off slightly at the end. Kihyun looked down at him, one brow raised.

“What is?” 

Minhyuk sat up on the bed, and turned to face Kihyun. 

“Seeing you in normal clothes. And seeing you in my house.”

Kihyun let out a small snicker. 

“I was thinking the same thing! It’s weird not seeing you making coffee or shopping for tea. Even though you never buy any tea.” 

“I don’t even like tea, why would I buy it?” 

“Why would you come into a tea store if you don’t like tea?” Kihyun squinted, eyebrows furrowed. Minhyuk smirked.

“Why would _you_ come into a cafe if you don’t like coffee?” The black-haired boy crossed his arms, tilting his head. Kihyun looked away, moving his gaze to the floor.

“Okay. Sure. Fine. But you’re crazy for not liking tea.” 

Minhyuk scoffed.

“It’s just leafy water!”

“Maybe, but there are so many different kinds! Some are super sweet, some are more robust, and not only does it taste good, but it can help you, too! You have a headache? Drink tea! Need to sleep? Drink tea! I could go on for a long time!”

“God, Kihyun, you sound like a commercial.” 

“What’s so good about coffee anyway?”

“It tastes good! Unlike tea!” Minhyuk laughed. He stopped laughing after a second, though, and sighed. “But maybe working with tea would be better.” 

Kihyun tilted his head, donning a confused, but concerned expression. Seeing this, Minhyuk sighed again and continued. 

“Some people who order coffee are... Ugh, God! They’re fucking crazy!” He threw his arms up in the air, and smacked them back down onto his thighs over-dramatically in a fit of rage. “If I have to make one more ‘venti iced skinny caramel macchiato, sugar-free syrup, extra shot, 10 pumps caramel, light ice with no whip’ I’m gonna lose my mind, for real.”

“I don’t understand a word you just said.” Kihyun admitted, laughing. 

“Honestly, me neither!” Minhyuk yelled, laughing too. “One time, someone asked for one pump of every flavor syrup we have, then complained that it was too strong and tasted weird. No shit it tasted weird, you got blueberry and caramel and mint all in there together, among other things!” 

The two boys laughed as Minhyuk rattled on about stressful orders and encounters he had gotten.

“This one guy, oh my god, you won’t believe it. I got his order wrong, right? So he came up to the counter and threatened to throw the hot coffee in my face! And he would have, I know it. But Hyunwoo came out looking all buff and mad and the guy got so scared he ran out of the cafe!” Minhyuk cracked up. “His order was another of those stupid long ones, too. Like the kind that you need a super long receipt for just one drink because of all the little things. ‘Extra pump vanilla, 5 sugars, 3 creams, extra soy milk, light ice, extra whip.’ God, I hate those so much.” He let out an exasperated sigh as he fell back onto the bed again, both arms outstretched to the sides, legs still hanging off the side of the bed. He looked up at Kihyun, and patted the bed next to him, signaling Kihyun to lay down beside him. As the black-haired boy looked at Kihyun, his expression changed into something different, something more delicate. 

“That’s...” He spoke softly. Kihyun turned to face Minhyuk, shifting his legs so he could see the boy laying down beside him, and so he could hear him better. “That’s one of the reasons I always looked forward to seeing you. Your order is so simple, familiar, and easy to make, I never have to worry too much. It’s a nice breath of fresh air, even if it’s only for a minute.” 

Kihyun’s face turned red too quickly for him to try and stop it. He was definitely not expecting that. There was something in the way Minhyuk spoke so gently that made Kihyun’s heart skip a beat, and this time, for some reason, he didn’t ignore it or brush it off. He smiled, though, and started laughing again. He let himself fall onto the bed slowly, carefully placing himself next to Minhyuk, laying down. 

“Is that why you were so shocked the first day I went there?” 

“Yes!” Minhyuk exclaimed, looking at the ceiling and throwing his hands up. “You would not _believe_ the order from the lady who came right before you that day,” 

As Minhyuk spoke, eyes on the ceiling, Kihyun stared at him, smiling. He’d almost forgotten just how attractive Minhyuk was. Perfect jawline, silky black hair with hints of blue that framed his pretty face perfectly, gorgeous eyes, pretty lips... Kihyun watched as he spoke, as he smiled and laughed, as he blinked in the cute way he always did, and a phrase popped into his head, uninvited. In that moment, lying on Minhyuk’s bed, Kihyun realized that he was really, truly, falling in love. And that maybe he had been falling in love this whole time, but denied it. He felt like an idiot for not realizing sooner. This was what made him go back to the cafe day after day. Not the cafe itself, not the coffee, but Minhyuk. He’d known it was because of Minhyuk for a while, but he never knew the strange feelings he’d developed could possibly be love. Did Kihyun believe in love at first sight, he wondered? He never had before Minhyuk. He had always thought it was stupid and sappy, but here he was being stupid and sappy and in love, possibly from first sight. 

Minhyuk had finished talking by now, and was looking at Kihyun, a smile on his face as usual. Kihyun wanted to tell Minhyuk what he just realized. He wanted to pour his heart out to the boy in front of him. He wanted to hold Minhyuk close, maybe even kiss him, but he couldn’t. No way. 

“Kiki? Something bothering you?” Minhyuk asked, his tone soft again like before, making Kihyun’s heart pound harder than it already was. 

“Mm, nothing.” Kihyun lied, smiling. Minhyuk’s eyebrows raised. Kihyun never was a good liar. He wore his heart on his sleeve and he hated it. He could never hide his feelings. Minhyuk turned from laying on his back to now laying on his side, facing Kihyun and making gentle, comfortable eye contact. He slowly, gently lifted his hand and reached over to Kihyun’s face. The brown-haired boy’s heart boomed in his chest, so loud he feared Minhyuk would be able to hear it. Without breaking eye contact, Minhyuk brushed a tuft of Kihyun’s hair out of his face, tucking it behind his ear, and pulled his hand back. His face still showed concern.

“Kihyun? What’s wrong?” 

Kihyun knew he could never lie to Minhyuk. And he wasn’t about to even try. Kihyun bit his lip, and decided right then and there to throw all caution to the wind. He knew himself too well, and it was now or never. If he didn’t do this now, he would procrastinate and give himself excuses not to until it was too late and the opportunity was gone. 

“Minhyuk... Can I tell you something?”

The taller boy tilted his head ever so slightly, curious.

“Of course. What is it?” 

Kihyun’s heart thrummed in his chest, in his head, in his fingertips, his toes. He was petrified, but Minhyuk’s presence and warmth kept him sane. He swallowed his fear, and let his eyes meet Minhyuk’s.

“I love you.” 

Minhyuk’s cheeks flushed red, and his eyes widened for a second, before closing again with another grand smile. 

“I love you too, Kihyun!” 

Kihyun shrunk down, curling almost into the fetal position. He looked down at his knees, embarrassed. 

“No, I...” 

Minhyuk blinked and looked at Kihyun again expectantly, waiting for him to continue.

“I think... I think I really like you, Minhyuk. Like I could really be falling in love with you, I think, maybe.” He paused, waiting for a response, but got none. “Um! It’s okay if you don’t feel the same, I hope we can still be friends, but I... I don’t know, I guess I just now realized that I might have liked you this whole time. I’m sorry if this is weird or gross to you.” 

Minhyuk sat up suddenly, making Kihyun’s heart drop to his feet. The taller boy was frozen, not speaking. Kihyun suddenly felt like his blood had turned into fire ants, or like he had been submerged into freezing cold water, he couldn’t tell which. Kihyun sat up as well, tucking his feet in to sit cross-legged, behind Minhyuk.

“I’m sorry, Minhyuk. It’s okay if you never want to talk to me again. I-- I’ll stop going to the cafe, I’ll stop talking to you, I’m sorry. I know this is weird and sudden... I’m sorry.” 

Minhyuk took in a shaky breath.

“You’re being serious, right? This isn’t a joke?” He questioned, not looking at Kihyun.

“Why would I joke about this?” Kihyun’s voice cracked slightly as he spoke, feeling more than he initially thought he would. 

Minhyuk made a sound, a sharp exhale, that sounded to Kihyun like a stifled sob. Kihyun’s heart felt like it had shattered into millions of pieces, disintegrated into dust. Minhyuk made another sound, then another, until what sounded like sobs changed completely.

“Are you... Laughing?” Kihyun pressed furiously, leaning closer to Minhyuk. The boy kept laughing and snorting, trying to conceal it with a hand over his mouth. He turned around, finally facing Kihyun, and his smile was brighter than any day Kihyun had seen.

“I’m sorry, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to laugh, it’s just...” He cracked up again, cutting off his own sentence.

“Just what, Minhyuk?!” Kihyun snapped. He was angry, confused, and scared. He didn’t know what to feel, what to do. All he could do was wait for Minhyuk to stop laughing and spit it out. 

“Sorry, please don’t be mad, I just--” Minhyuk shook his head and took a deep breath, trying to compose himself before continuing. “I wasn’t expecting this at all! At least, I didn’t think it would happen like _this_!” 

“What-- what do you mean?” Kihyun stuttered, stumbling on his words in embarrassment and confusion. Minhyuk looked at Kihyun with a dumb smile.

“I wanted to confess first.” 

In that moment, every bad feeling Kihyun had in his head melted away. In their stead, his mind filled to the brim with excitement, puppy love, the color yellow. 

“You... what?”

“I wanted to confess first!” Minhyuk pouted playfully. “But you got to it before I could!” 

“So... You...” Kihyun was a mess, at a loss for words.

“I like you, too, Kihyun.” Minhyuk smiled softly, leaning closer to Kihyun. His small, gentle smile quickly broke into his big, toothy, gummy smile as he opened his arms and pulled Kihyun into a tight hug. The two had hugged before, just quick passing greeting and goodbye hugs, but this was entirely new. Kihyun could melt into this one, and he did. He wrapped his arms around Minhyuk as he felt the other boy’s warmth envelop him. 

~~~

The next few days were crazy. Kihyun let Minhyuk be the one to ask if he wanted to date him, and of course Kihyun said yes. Minhyuk excitedly shared the news with everyone he knew, including Kihyun’s coworkers. The younger two of which barraged Kihyun with ‘I knew it’s and ‘I told you so’s. Wonho congratulated the couple. Kihyun continued his regular visits to the coffee shop, despite not being a fan of coffee, and Minhyuk always got a breath of fresh air when his now-boyfriend placed an order.


End file.
